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Hello, D.C. Welcome back to the work week. Here is the news you might have missed over the weekend while you were trying the fried catfish and spaghetti at Almeda.

Unleashed

Dognappers struck again in the District over the weekend as eight American bulldog puppies were stolen from a vehicle in Anacostia. According to D.C. police, the victim left their car running and unlocked in the 1700 block of U Street SE when someone jumped in and drove away with the 5-week-old puppies inside.

By Sunday, a “community member” had returned seven of the eight pups, police say. They are still looking for the vehicle and the eighth puppy.

Nearly a dozen dogs were stolen from their owners last year, and the trend appears to be continuing into 2024. At least 10 dogs have been reported stolen in the first two weeks of the new year, according to WTOP, including a French bulldog who was taken from a car parked on U Street NW on Sunday evening. Police say the victim left the Frenchie locked inside his car while he went to pick up some wings around the corner. He came back to find his window smashed and his puppy gone. The puppy was a Christmas present for the victim’s son.

D.C. police also announced an arrest in a theft of another French bulldog, Mocha. Kyrie Holmes was arrested Friday and accused of stealing Mocha on Dec. 22.

Separately, a pit bull puppy named Lola was stolen on New Year’s Eve after two suspects allegedly forced their way into a home on the 100 block of Atlantic Street SE. A “concerned citizen” returned Lola a couple days later, according to police.

Baby On Board

Police are still searching for the person who stole an SUV with a 4-month-old baby inside. The child has been returned to her mother, but the vehicle is still missing.

D.C. police say a white Jeep with a missing gas cap door was stolen from the 2000 block of M Street NW in Georgetown on Friday evening. The mother said she left the car running, with her 4-month-old daughter inside, while she ran into the perfume store, Le Labo.

About an hour later, the child was left in her car seat on the porch of a home in the 1500 block of 28th Street SE. Emergency responders said she was unharmed.

Ron Rivera Fired

Following the team’s eighth straight loss this weekend, Commanders head coach Ron Rivera was relieved of his duties. The Associated Press reports that GM Martin Mayhew and much of the front office and coaching staff will likely be fired, too, as the new ownership group led by Josh Harris begins restructuring the organization. (City Paper owner Mark Ein is a limited partner in the group.)

But the loss to Dallas on Sunday also secured the team the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft, which sets them up to take one of the two top quarterback prospects in Caleb Williams from USC or Drake Maye from North Carolina. 

Current quarterback Sam Howell threw two interceptions in the team’s final game of the year—leading all NFL QBs at 21. Despite accolades from teammates, Howell does not appear to have established himself as the team’s starting QB going into next season.

—Mitch Ryals (tips? mryals@washingtoncitypaper.com)

• Everyone is sick: A trifecta of viruses—COVID, the flu, and RSV—is hitting the D.C. region hard and it’s causing strains on local hospitals (Children’s National Hospital reported being close to capacity late last month.) Remember to test, wash your hands, consider masking in crowds, and for the love of us all, stay home if you’re sick or sniffly. [Axios]
• Can’t get enough of our People Issue? Well, Washingtonian has compiled another 10 locals dubbed “Washingtonians of the Year.” [Washingtonian]
• Speaking of the People Issue, this year DC SAFE co-founder Natalia Otero explained that lethality rates in local domestic violence incidents are rising. This weekend, two D.C. area women were murdered by their husbands. [WTOP, FOX5]
• The family of Ashli Babbitt, the 35-year-old California woman who was killed by Capitol Police during the Jan. 6 insurrection, has filed a $30 million wrongful death lawsuit against the U.S. government. [WTOP]

By City Paper staff (tips? editor@washingtoncitypaper.com)

• What’s causing D.C.’s murder rate to rise even as violence slows in other cities? Experts point to structural factors, such as the city’s high rate of displacement, alongside issues of policy and personnel. “You could take a 15, 20 minute drive to another section of the city, and gain 20 years of your life,” one researcher notes. [New Republic]
• U.S. Attorney for D.C. Matthew Graves is pushing back hard on the Council’s nomination of Joel Caston, a formerly incarcerated man who now does criminal justice policy work, to a city commission recommending sentences for felony convictions. Graves claims Caston doesn’t have the necessary expertise for the field, and would hasten the “revolving door” of people released from prison committing more crimes. [WTOP]
• Billionaire Sheila Johnson said last week she was concerned about Ted Leonsis’ plans to move the Caps and Wizards to Alexandria, noting that it was a “long way from happening” still. She happens to be a partner in Leonsis’ Monumental Sports and the Mystics’ team president, so the remark raised City Paper contributor Tom Sherwood’s eyebrows. A few days later, Johnson walked those comments back in a statement affirming that she’ll “stand with my business partners” on the move. [WBJ, X]

By Alex Koma (tips? akoma@washingtoncitypaper.com)